Latest Natural Disasters Headlines
All the headlines from our Natural Disasters Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Huge Bomb Blast Hits Oslo; Terrorists Suspected
Jul 22 2011 // A powerful explosion caused extensive damage to government buildings in the Norwegian capital Oslo. At least two people have reportedly been killed by the blast and 15 have been injured. Rescue teams, hampered by fires,...
Moody’s Affirms California Earthquake Authority Bonds
Jul 22 2011 // Moody’s Investors Service has affirmed the A3 rating on the California Earthquake Authority’s (“CEA”) 6.169% fixed rate Series 2006-B revenue bonds (mature July 20, 2016) and changed the rating...
Texas Gov. Signs Windstorm Bill, Measure Affecting Surplus Lines
Jul 21 2011 // Legislative measures passed during the special session of the 82nd Legislature that impact the insurance industry in Texas have been signed by the governor. On July 19, Gov. Rick Perry signed Senate Bill 1 and Senate Bill...
Travelers Posts Q2 Loss with $1 Billion in Tornado Costs
Jul 21 2011 // Travelers Cos. Inc. reported a second-quarter loss, missing analysts’ estimates by a huge margin as the property insurer suffered more than $1 billion in catastrophe losses from record-breaking tornadoes in April and...
Tropical Storm Ma-On Makes Landfall, Heavy Rains in Southern Japan
Jul 20 2011 // According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, Tropical Storm Ma-On made landfall in southern Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku Island late Tuesday night local time. Dr. Peter Sousounis, principal scientist at AIR...
Hailstorms Result in 50,000 Claim Filings in Colorado, Wyoming
Jul 20 2011 // Mother Nature wrecked havoc along the Front Range and southeastern Wyoming last week — again living up to the region’s weather reputation as “hail alley.” The Rocky Mountain Insurance Information...
Indonesia’s Mount Lokon Volcano Erupts Twice
Jul 19 2011 // An Indonesian volcano spewed hot gases and ash in two eruptions on Monday that show high and unpredictable activity from the volatile mountain, experts said. The second blast at Mount Lokon was the larger of the two...
7,500 Earthquakes Shake Resolve in Christchurch, New Zealand
Jul 19 2011 // It’s been 10 months since the first big earthquake struck New Zealand’s second-largest city. It’s been nearly five months since a far more devastating one killed 181 people and crippled the downtown. And...
Typhoon Ma-On Nears Japan
Jul 18 2011 // According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, Category 2 Typhoon Ma-On (local name Ineng) is currently about 885 kilometers (550 miles) southwest of Tokyo. The storm packs winds with gusts up to 157 km/h (98 mph)....
NHC Tracking Tropical Storm Bret
Jul 18 2011 // The National Hurricane Center in Miami is currently tracking Bret, the second named tropical storm of the season. Unless it changes course, which is highly unlikely, Bret poses no threat to the U.S. mainland, as it is...
Analysis: Reinsurers at Risk If Hurricane Season Is Big
Jul 18 2011 // A major hurricane landfall in Florida could strain leading global reinsurers that have already been buffeted by brutal tornadoes in the United States and earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand. The biggest reinsurers,...
Small Earthquake Felt in Eastern Maine
Jul 18 2011 // A small earthquake across Maine’s Blue Hill peninsula prompted a handful of calls to law enforcement officials, but no damages were reported. According to the Weston Observatory at Boston College, the magnitude 2.3...
Hurricanes Could Alter Insurance Markets
Jul 18 2011 // Reacting to the recent spate of major natural catastrophes, insurers are being more selective in the capital they deploy and have in some cases withdrawn from catastrophe affected regions and loss-making sectors of...
Alabama Scientists to Study Tornado Outbreak, Warnings
Jul 14 2011 // Scientists at The University of Alabama in Huntsville are organizing a research program to better understand the deadly outbreak of tornadoes that killed more than 240 people in Alabama and other Southeastern states on...
U.S. Hurricane Season Could Be Market Tipping Point: Marsh
Jul 11 2011 // Reacting to the recent spate of major natural catastrophes, insurers are being more selective in the capital they deploy and have in some cases withdrawn from catastrophe affected regions and loss-making sectors of...
Small Earthquake Felt in Eastern Maine
Jul 11 2011 // A small earthquake across Maine’s Blue Hill peninsula prompted a handful of calls to law enforcement officials, but no damages were reported. According to the Weston Observatory at Boston College, the magnitude 2.3...
Aon Benfield Cat Recap Highlights China Floods; Quakes, Wildfires
Jul 7 2011 // Aon Benfield, the global reinsurance intermediary and capital advisor of Aon Corp., has released the latest edition of its Monthly Cat Recap report, which reviews the natural disaster perils that occurred worldwide during...
With Wildfires Contained, Arizona Shifts to Thwarting Summer Floods
Jul 7 2011 // The biggest forest fire in Arizona history is all but contained, and authorities are shifting their focus to preventing massive flood damage as summer storms begin to hit. The specialized firefighting management teams that...
North Carolina Wildfire Spreads; Homeowners Evacuate
Jul 6 2011 // Ten homes have been evacuated and three destroyed by a wildfire in Bladen County that has nearly doubled in size over the past three days, fire officials said Tuesday. State Forest Service spokesman Chris Meggs said a...
Pres. Obama Signs Disaster Declaration for Texas Wildfires
Jul 5 2011 // President Barack Obama has signed a major disaster declaration for parts of Texas ravaged by wildfires in April and early May, ordering federal aid to help state and local recovery efforts. The White House had previously...
